Ibn Edwards, Facilities Supervisor, MTS Facilities Department

One of the most important things to know about MTS Facilities Supervisor Ibn Edwards is his results-driven mentality.

“I like being able to look back on projects and know they are part of a bigger picture,” he said. And Ibn knows a lot about pictures. He is an accomplished artist who completed a UCLA graphic arts extension program prior to joining MTS.

Artistry runs in his family. Ibn’s dad – Eddie Edwards – is also an accomplished artist in San Diego. When he was younger, Ibn attended and helped out with many of his dad’s art shows. He also painted murals with his dad at elementary schools throughout San Diego in the summer.  

Whether it’s painting murals or making improvements to the MTS system, Ibn understands that a vision is needed to achieve results-driven success. 

“One of the main things we’ve improved at over my 10 years in the MTS Facilities Department is taking care of issues before they become issues.” One of Ibn’s job duties is to perform quality control inspections all throughout the Trolley service territory. This includes inspecting MTS right-of-way for homeless camps that present safety issues to our tracks and working on monthly inspections with fire officials. 

This mindset of preventative maintenance may come from his background working at the Department of Forestry. “This experience helped me out a lot,” he said. “We had a lot of tools for fire prevention and had to be hands-on with the work. The same goes for working in Facilities. Both jobs carry a similar mindset.”

If the Trolley Facilities team was a tool, it would be a Swiss Army knife. The team helps keep our stations clean, but they also work through many issues that arise every day such as:

• Fixing 100 miles of fencing lining our tracks
• Maintaining 228 information kiosks and 3,500 wayfinding signs
• Tree trimming and removal
• Pouring concrete and station repairs
• Welding
• Helping to safely remove the homeless from MTS property

While the work at Facilities takes a lot of tools, one of Ibn’s favorite parts of the job is working with all the different people. “All these guys I have developed relationships with over the last 10 years, we’ve been able to grow up together. I’ve watched people grow from entry-level positions to supervisorial roles. It’s a testament to hard work paying off.”

Ibn’s results-driven approach to the job has helped him work up the ranks to become a Facilities Supervisor – a job he was promoted to last year.

“There are a lot of things going on all the time at MTS, so safety is our major focus area.  Through my work, I’m always trying to find ways to make it a better more efficient riding experience for our passengers.”

So what’s an interesting story about Ibn that not many people know?

Ibn met boxing legend Muhammad Ali multiple times. “Muhammad Ali came down to visit my father's art center in San Diego and I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times as a child. Growing up I thought Muhammad Ali was just a cool dude but later in life I realized what a legend he truly was.”

First Image: Ibn drew a collage of MTS employees as a retirement gift for outgoing Facilities Manager Vance Williams

Second Image: “The Cards” - Ibn’s depiction of his uncle and friends playing ball in the streets near downtown San Diego in the 1960s

Third Image: Ibn had the pleasure of meeting Muhammed Ali a few times at his dad’s art center as a baby and young child